Back in the day, you had to be very rich or very famous to have your likeness painted on a canvas or captured by a photographer. These days, anyone can take a picture of themselves with the camera attached to their smartphone, but some occasions, like a headshot for your LinkedIn page, may still call for a professional touch.
The Click Studio falls somewhere between forking over hundreds of dollars to a professional photographer and snapping a selfie on your mobile device. The do-it-yourself photography shop in Haight-Ashbury, which soft-launched earlier this year, hosts its official grand opening on April 15.
Stop by for a complimentary glass of bubbly and a raffle—and try the self-shoot concept for yourself.
Here’s how it works. You step into Click’s private studio with a remote control in hand. Professional-grade lighting illuminates the scene and a monitor shows you what the camera is seeing in real time. Strike a pose, press the button on the remote control and voila! Think of it like a souped-up photobooth with higher-end features and more control over the final images.
Billed as San Francisco’s first self-portrait studio, the shop can be used for anything from dating profile pics to family portraits. You can even bring your pets in for a session. The studio’s creators say they want to empower people to take their own high-quality portraits at an affordable price point. You could think of it like a souped-up photo booth with more high-tech features or a 21st century upgrade to the cost-effective department store family photo sessions from the days of yore.
“Personally, I’ve always felt shy in the standard photo shoot setting where a photographer is behind the lens. I came across tense and guarded in the photographs,” said Olya Surits, co-founder and chief marketing officer at the Click Studio. “Being able to be in full control of how my photos turn out with a remote clicker in my hand and a live feedback monitor has been game-changing. In this setting, we’ve seen customers walk in a little tentative, and walk out transformed and confident once they experience just how much control and how much fun they can have in taking their own photos.”
Self-shoot sessions start at $50, but you can take your own photo for free at Saturday’s event. The Click Studio is also offering a 15% discount through the end of April with the code THECLICKISBACK.
The Click Studio
🗓 Grand Opening: April 15
📍1334 Haight St., San Francisco
☎️ (503) 476-7527
🎟 Free at grand opening; $50+
🔗theclickstudio.com/grand-opening